Plebgate: police 'plotters' may escape sanction

Three of the country’s most senior police chiefs were embroiled in an
“extraordinary” split over whether officers should face disciplinary action
over allegations that they plotted to bring down a cabinet minister.

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Police and Detective Stuart Hinton of Warwickshire Police are unlikely to face action.

The row centres on a meeting between three officers representing the Police Federation and Mr Mitchell.

They emerged from the meeting in Mr Mitchell’s Sutton Coldfield constituency in October last year and claimed he had refused to elaborate on the infamous Downing Street “plebgate incident”, calling for his resignation.

Mr Mitchell, who admits losing his temper with officers at the gates of Downing Street but who has always denied using the term 'pleb’, had to resign after a public campaign by the Police Federation, which at the same time was also campaigning against Government spending cuts.

However, a secret recording of the encounter made by Mr Mitchellcontradicted the police officer’s comments.

Mr Shaw, of West Mercia, made a “profound unreserved apology” for what had happened to Andrew Mitchell. He said the affair was “unedifying” and had “dented” public confidence in the force, and that he was referring the matter to HMIC.

Mr Sims, the chief constable of West Midlands Police, said he was “horrified” by the appearance of the police federation officials on television after the meeting. However, he said he “stood by” the findings of the report and said the decision not to proceed was “objective and rational”.

Andrew Parker, the chief constable of Warwickshire Police, apologised to Mr Mitchell and admitted his officers had become involved in an “overtly political” campaign. However, he claimed they should not face disciplinary action.

All three police officers refused to apologise. Mr Hinton told the Home Affairs Select Committee that he had showed “poor judgement” in speaking to the press but “certainly didn’t lie intentionally.

Mr Jones said he was not “convinced we have done anything wrong”, while Mr MacKaill claimed he had given an “accurate account of the meeting”.

The three men were warned by Keith Vaz, the committtee chairman, that they would be in contempt of Parliament if they had given false testimony.

Michael Ellis, a Tory MP, said the officers should apologise to Mr Mitchell for “spinning a yarn to the press to get somebody out of high public office”.

Chief Inspector Jerry Reakes-Williams, who conducted the internal investigation, told MPs that he still believes that the officers have a case to answer over accounts they gave of the meeting.